Your strength has come back quickly, good to see. That clean and jerk seemed almost relaxed.

Hi Warren.

Yes the quick lifts are coming back fast.  I'm getting a better and snappier 2nd pull than before.  The pure-strength lifts are not coming back all that fast, interestingly enough.  I'm snatching and cleaning better, but I was squatting/deadlifting 20-70 lbs more and doing it faster 8 months ago than what I do now.

Curious, no?

I think it's related to where you were at before the break. You're an advanced lifter strength wise, and you took a long enough break for some detraining to occur. That needs time under the bar to rebuild.

You left off your Olympic lifts at a lower level in comparison. They were never heavy relative to your strength. You only needed a fraction of your max squat/DL to hit a max clean.

Good points there, Warren.  I hadn't considered that.

2011-12-20

Snatches
95,115x3
135x2
145x1
150x1
155x1
160x1
162.5x1,1+1 OHS
http://youtu.be/W1VF2X9kekg
140 2x3 sets

Squats
205x3
235x3
260 3x3 sets

Presses tomorrow.  Snatches shocked me.  Stopped pointing my toes out so much and suddenly the 2nd pull was flying up.  Can't catch for sour owl manure with toes forward more, but if you pull it high enough I guess it doesn't matter.  Squats are getting stronger/faster.  2 more sessions at 260 and I'll bump it up again.

Can explain that too! Watch the vid again, and see how your knees slid forward as the bar approached the thigh. With your toes straighter, you're able to rebend and get your knees in front, putting yourself in a better position for the second pull.

I think the left leg splitting forward was because you muscled the bar a little with your arms, so the receive was forward too.

Correctives: high snatch pulls for the 2nd pull and some snatch balances to practice sitting in!

Can explain that too! Watch the vid again, and see how your knees slid forward as the bar approached the thigh. With your toes straighter, you're able to rebend and get your knees in front, putting yourself in a better position for the second pull.

I think the left leg splitting forward was because you muscled the bar a little with your arms, so the receive was forward too.

Correctives: high snatch pulls for the 2nd pull and some snatch balances to practice sitting in!

Good suggestions.  Thanks, Warren.   Might take a squat day and replace the squats with the high snatch pull.  I can do OHS with the snatch balances too.  My shoulders were a weak point in the heaviest snatches.

That split was the weirdest thing.  I've got a funky(weak) right hip and leg from a blown disc and when the weights become challenging I depend heavily on my left leg.  It was as if my right leg was trying to leave the scene altogether.  That was nearly a 1-legged snatch.

When I'm not concentrating, I often stand up out of snatches on one leg, usually the left but not exclusively. It's not conducive to lower back health! Funny thing is, my left glute is the weak/lazy one.

Has it really only been a weeK?

2011-12-28
Clean and Jerk
135xsome
155x1+2 jerks
175x1
190x1
205x1
215x1+0 jerks
215x0
195x1+2 jerks
195x1

and I was done.  Just didn't have it tonight.  Jerks were awful.  Mushy on the launch, soft on the catch.  Holidays wring me out, man.

2011-12-30

Snatches
95x3
115x3
135x2
145 2x5 sets


Clean and Press
145x2
155 2x5 sets

Squats
205x3
235x3
260 3x3

Followed the plan of doing reps and it felt like the right thing.  All the snatches were pretty solid, getting my head through nicely.  Still not finishing the pull and it shows up most strongly in the second rep.

All the presses were work, but not hard if that makes sense.  I wish it was more weight, but it's too soon.  Getting my head through better on these too.

Squats were not as fast as I'd like, but they were stronger than last time, so it's progress.  I'm turning my toes straighter forward, putting the weight on the outsides of my feet and spreading the knees on the way down and up. This seems to make engage the glutes more and supports my low back better somehow.

2012-1-1

Clean and Jerk
135x3
155x1+2 jerks
175x1 + 2 jerks
190 2x5 sets

Front Squats
230 3x3

Snatch High Pull
185 2x5 sets

Incline Bench Press
135x5
165x5
185 3x3

The second clean is a little loose, but the jerks were a better today.  Reps @ 90% was a good idea.  Snatch pulls were above my shoulders.  I SHOULD be able to snatch this weight NOW if I weren't such a coward getting under.  Added 10lbs to incline bench since I last did them.  Didn't feel heavier - good sign.

2012-01-03

Snatches
95x3
115x3
125x2
135x2
145x1
155x1
160x1
165x1 (match PR)

155 1x3 sets

Snatch high pull from hang(hips) + snatch from hang(hips)
135x2+1
135x2+0

Push Press from rack
135x3
155x3
175x3
195x3 (PR + 1 rep)
210x1 (post-spine f/u PR)

190 2x2 sets

Squats
190x3
225x3
260 3x3

Good session tonight.  I thought squats would go easier than they did, given how I was pretty much on fire tonight.  The 165 snatch was a LOT prettier than the last 165 I did.  Did that quasi-split again though.  Easiest 210 PP I've EVER done.

2012-01-05

Clean and Jerk
135xa few
155x1
175x1
190x1
205x1
215xclean,no jerk (push pressed dang it)
215x1 (yay! P feckin R!)

195x1+2 jerks
195x1+2 jerks
195x1+1+0+1/2

Clean and PRess
135x3
155x5 (!?)
165x1
165 2x3 sets

Front Squat
235 3x3

RDL (snatch Grip)
205 5x2 sets

2012-01-07

Snatches
95x3
115x3
125x2
135x2
145x2
150x1
155 1x3 sets

2 Hang Snatch High Pull + hang snatch
125 1x3 sets

Squats
205x3
235x3
275 3x3

Polish Press (slow neg.)
115 5x3 sets

Wide Grip Gibbon Pullups
BW 5x3 sets


Backed off of PR territory on the quick lifts today, Shoulders are feeling beat up.  Boosted weight on squats and it was fine.  Reps were solid, if not fast.  I've been babying myself for too long, it's time to move some iron.  Work on speed later.

2012-01-09

Wasn't going to train today because I'm feeling flu-ey, but then I thought of Pete and his training the day after projectile vomiting all night, girded my manparts (such as they are) and did some stuff.

Deadlifts (not done since last Ice Age...movie)
155x3
245x3
315x3
365x2
405x f**k you, Tony.
345x3

Jerks from the Rack(splitting)
155x2 (split left)
175x2 (left)
175x2 (right)
175x2 (right)
155x2,2,2,2,2 (right)

My right hip and leg are screwed. I can't make it move fast enough either forward or back. It was getting better by the last 2 sets, but it needs a fair amount of strengthening and just plain being used more. I see lunges in my future. Good news is that I can feel split jerks working some of the supporting muscles around my shoulders a bit differently and in a good way.

I thought sure I would get 400+ tonight. Got it to my knees and my low back said it was going out for some fresh air. The good news is that I know 385 would have gone up (had I done it), which is the weight I failed at last time. Discouraging, in that I'm 130 lbs off my best DL, but at least the arrow is pointing towards progression...

2011-01-10

Front Squats
155x3
185x3
205x3
225x3
245x3
275x1
295x0
245x2,3

Incline Bench
135x3
165x3
185x3
205x1
215x1
195x3,3

Good enough.  After the way the 245 and 275 went up on FS, I was certain I'd grind through a nice all-time, regardless of bodyweight, PR, but 'twas not to be.  Couldn't even get out of the hole.  Tonight's were the fastest and easiest FSs I've done at those weights.

Incline bench continues to advance. Only 20lbs off from all-time best.